🚀 go-pugleaf

Today's topic is our messed-up legal family court system.  I have gone to court
FIVE TIMES to try to get child support.  In August, the judge ruled that he had
to pay $50 a month (YES, you read that right - FIFTY DOLLARS) and gave him 6
months to find a job, at which time we'd go back to court, and adjust it. 

So, we went back to court on 3/21 (which is actually SEVEN months, but anyway),
or rather *I* went back to court, as the ex didn't show.  The judge checked his
records, and his secretary had sent the paperwork to the wrong address.  He
said that he'd reschedule and send another order out.

So I called his office about 3 weeks later and the secretary said "Well, I have
to get the judge's order to reschedule, and he hasn't said anything to me about
it."

So I wait & wait - still no new hearing.  Still collecting a whopping $50 a
month in support.  So today, I'm just PO'd enough to call again.  I get a
different secretary.  This one is very nice & tells me "Of course, we need to
get that rescheduled!"  I'm nearly in tears of gratitude until she tells me
"Looks like the earliest available date is JULY SEVENTH".

Change that to tears of frustration.  The nice secretary is going to try to fit
it in earlier if possible, but I am SOOOOO upset at the system right now.   
WHY does he not have to support his child?!?!  Before the judge adjusted it to
$50, he ran up over $5,000 in arrearages.  I hear all these men complaining
"Oh, I have to pay my ex-wife $600 a month in support" or whatever - and I'm
getting FIFTY GODDAM DOLLARS.

I lost my job in August, and was unemployed for three months.  Did I get to
stop paying my rent, electric bill, day care, etc?  Nope.  But he gets to go
whining to the judge, saying "Oh, I hurt my back 3 years ago, I have another
baby to take care of now, blah blah blah" and the judge says, "Ok, well, don't
worry about the kid you already have, no problem."

Let's just encourage all deadbeats to go running around with their pants down,
shall we???